Revenge
by Kyria Nyriese
Summary: What happens when Kai Leng gets the drop on Shepard while Kaidan can do nothing more than watch. Prompt from Tumblr.


Shepard knew the fight needed to end and soon, exhaustion was creeping through her body as once again the assassin, Kai Leng, bounded away from them, forming a powerful barrier while Cerberus troops once again rained down on the team. She didn't know how much longer the three of them could go, well EDI could probably go on for a very long time, however, herself and Kaidan were getting close to their limits. She could see the way Kaidan seemed to be conserving his biotics to an extent, trying to not overextend himself. Shepard needed to end this fight, and she planned to end it now. She moved back, flanking where Leng was recharging his shields, she was waiting for the moment his barrier went down, while Kaidan and EDI took out the other Cerberus operatives in the room, trusting her team mates to do what needed to be done. Then the moment came, she sensed Leng's barrier dropping her own corona flared around her, and she was moving before he had even stood the entire way up. The charge had been building while she waited. She didn't have time to see him turn in her direction, though she saw the sword level with her chest, there was no way to stop the charge, she was committed to her target. She didn't even feel the sharp blade slice into her as she slammed into the assassin, managing to trigger the Nova blast before she slid to the ground, her eyes meeting Kaidan's across the room.

The shock on his face was complete, as he watched the sword slide into Shepard, the scream ripped from his throat was inhuman, he couldn't hear it, he could only hear his heartbeat, could only feel the pain arching though his heart as he watched Shepard slide to the floor, the blade coming away from her chest as she landed on her knees, it was a feeling he had only had once, nineteen years earlier. His corona flared brightly as he drew the power of his biotics to him. They had talked many times about her charge ability, it was something that only an L4 or higher was supposed to be able to channel the power into, and not something an L2 Sentinel should be able to pull off even if he understood the mechanics behind the maneuver. That didn't stop him, as he watched Shepard crumple to the ground, Kai Leng distracted watching her fall, his arm moving to insure she was dead. Kaidan released the power flowing through him, sending him flying across the room, slamming him into the clear bulkhead, his own tech barrier exploding followed by his biotic barrier.

EDI stood across the room from where Kai Leng was, she saw Shepard go down, she saw the Major charge Leng, she turned her main focus on the Cerberus troops still in the room, leaving Kaidan to deal with Leng without interference from the other troops.

Kaidan didn't bother to pull his pistol from the holster where it sat at his hip, he used the assault rifle in his hands not as a gun, but as a battering ram, slamming the butt of it into the side of Leng's head, his strength enhanced by his own biotics, as he physically beat the other man down. Not seeing anything except a red haze as he continued to use the rifle as a bludgeon, bashing into Leng's skull, his armored feet finding the chinks in Leng's armor as he lay unmoving on the ground. It wasn't until he felt EDI pulling him back that he realized he had managed to beat Leng to death, Kaidan's breath rasping from his throat as he dropped the remains of the assault rifle on the ground before turning around and spotting Shepard, her form still on the ground where it had fallen after Leng had stabbed her. Kaidan could feel the pressure beginning behind his eyes, signaling a killer migraine starting, not surprising considering the workout he had given his biotics and himself. He walked over to Shepard, dropping to his knees, she hadn't moved since she had slid to the floor. "Shepard!" he screamed, his omnitool activating over her body, the absolute fear that she wouldn't still be alive.

EDI came over to where Kaidan knelt next to Shepard, "Major, let me," she said quietly, placing her hand on his arm.

Kaidan looked at EDI, "She can't die, I can't lose her again."

EDI nodded, "Let me do this then," she told him, activating her sensors, picking up a faint heartbeat. "She's alive Major," she told the distraught human. "Normandy, this is EDI we need an emergency med evac, have Chakwas prepared to receive a severe injury."

"_Copy EDI, who is down?"_

"Shepard, Jeff."

Kaidan's medic training had finally kicked in, he had injected medigel into the wounds on Shepard's chest, from the angle of the cut, the sword had barely missed her heart. She wasn't out of the woods yet, but she was alive. Standing, Kaidan walked back over to where Leng's corpse lay, picking up the sword that had almost taken Shepard from him again, he swung it in a short arc, removing Leng's head from his shoulders. "Let's see you get up from that you son of a bitch," he hissed, turning to see EDI picking Shepard up. "Let's get her back to the Normandy," he told the AI.

EDI didn't respond, just began moving toward where Cortez told her he would set the shuttle down.

There was silence on the Normandy as everyone waited for word on Shepard's condition. Most everyone who wasn't sleeping or on duty was hanging around the mess just outside the medbay. Most of them trying to stay near to Major Alenko without seeming to stay near him, as they waited for word. Everyone looked up as the medbay door opened and Chakwas came out, "She's going to be fine, it was touch and go for a bit because of blood loss, however, she is now stable and should make a full recovery," she told them all before walking over to Kaidan. "You can go in and see her now Major, just make sure she rests."

Kaidan nodded, "Thank you doc," he replied as he walked into the medbay, seeing her laying on the med table, her complexion almost translucent. "Shepard, you scared the hell out of me."

Shepard's eyes opened, focusing on Kaidan, "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Kadain shook his head as he pulled a chair over and sat down next to her. "Don't apologize, just don't do that to me again," he whispered, taking her hand and laying his cheek against it.

"I'll try to keep that in mind next time I get attacked by a lunatic assassin with an axe to grind."

Kaidan chuckled, "Well that particular lunatic assassin won't be attacking anyone again."

"Good," she replied, her eyes closing as her exhaustion claimed her

Kaidan sat next to her holding her hand as he watched her sleep. He knew she wouldn't get the time she needed to heal, but he would do what he could to make sure she did get whatever he could make sure she got.

"_Major, Admiral Hackett is on the QEC waiting for a report."_

Kaidan sighed, "Thank you EDI," he replied as he stood up, "I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispered against her ear, his lips brushing the rim, before he walked out of the room and headed to the comm room, knowing that Hackett was not going to be happy to know how badly Shepard had been injured, but he knew he would have to tell him. The fact that Shepard was going to make it through this, making the coming discussion with brass bearable. She would live to fight another day.


End file.
